Rockford area loaded with baseball stars

Saturday

Jul 31, 2010 at 12:01 AMJul 31, 2010 at 2:47 PM

A great year for area baseball just keeps getting better. Belvidere North senior Brandon Schwebke has been invited to tryouts in Kissimmee, Fla., for the USSSA U-17 national team and North freshman Tanner Kehrer to the U-14 team. Each age division features 120 players competing for 18 spots. Those that stick will play in the 2011 Gold Medal Cup against international teams.Also, Cody Scarpetta (Guilford) is 6-8 with a 3.32 ERA and 115 strikeouts in 97 2/3 innings in the Florida State League in High Class A ball, while Jake Smolinski (Boylan), after a slow start, is hitting .246 with 3 HRs and 31 RBIs in the FSL.Earlier, a record six NIC-10 players signed Division I scholarships and Seth Blair (Rock Falls) was named the Pac-10 Pitcher of the Year at Arizona State, became the second-highest area player ever drafted (No. 46 overall) and signed Friday with the Cardinals.

Matt Trowbridge

A great year for area baseball just keeps getting better. Belvidere North senior Brandon Schwebke has been invited to tryouts in Kissimmee, Fla., for the USSSA U-17 national team and North freshman Tanner Kehrer to the U-14 team. Each age division features 120 players competing for 18 spots. Those that stick will play in the 2011 Gold Medal Cup against international teams.Also, Cody Scarpetta (Guilford) is 6-8 with a 3.32 ERA and 115 strikeouts in 97 2/3 innings in the Florida State League in High Class A ball, while Jake Smolinski (Boylan), after a slow start, is hitting .246 with 3 HRs and 31 RBIs in the FSL.Earlier, a record six NIC-10 players signed Division I scholarships and Seth Blair (Rock Falls) was named the Pac-10 Pitcher of the Year at Arizona State, became the second-highest area player ever drafted (No. 46 overall) and signed Friday with the Cardinals.